The Huntress
by BaloneyNomz
Summary: AU. Madge and her mother live in the wilderness with no other people for miles. Or so they think. One night Madge spots a starlit young woman and becomes determined to see her again. Rated for later chapters and yes, this is femslash. Madniss, lesbians, you have been warned.
1. Chapter 1

The first time Madge Undersee saw her, she was not sure she'd really seen her at all. After all, she'd only had a glimpse of the young woman she would later dub The Wind Huntress, and from the distance she'd been little more than a graceful silhouette. A dark distant female, on the hill and only just visible, outlined by the sliver moonlight and holding up a bow. Madge gaped up at her from where she was, in a small stretch of trees at the base of the hill. She held her breath as she stared up the slivery shape and then the figure raised the bow higher, releasing an arrow. The very next moment, the alluring silhouette raced after it, as fast as the wind and vanishing from Madge's sight. The blonde girl stared at the empty hill now, blinking in wonder. Had she really seen what she thought she had? No, she couldn't have. This area was the wilderness, no human being was around for miles, aside from Madge and her mother, with the possible except of those wild people. But even that was debatable, since in the five months Madge and her mother had been staying in their secluded cottage home, they had never seen any of the wild people. Also, her mother had moved them to this area just for the very reason that (as far as she knew) NO ONE was around, not even the wild people. No, Madge couldn't have seen anyone. It must have just been a trick of the moonlight. _No, not a trick of the light, _she thought._ There was really someone there, a girl with a bow and arrow._

Madge had been so bemused by what she'd seen that she'd forgotten why she left the cottage at this late hour in the first place, to gather firewood. She went back to doing that immediately, sifting through branches she found on the ground, the moon and stars providing just enough light for her to work. With the moon and starlight, the sixteen year old could make out where she was going and where branches lay. She didn't need any light at all to judge what branches were good to take back or not, all she had to do was run her fingers over them to feel how dry or wet they were. It took her longer than normal to finish her chore however, not only because of the initial delay when she had sighted the moonlit female-shape, but because she'd been distracted after with thoughts of what she'd seen. There was no doubt in her mind that she had in fact seen the young woman, but she was just bewildered. Bewildered to have seen someone in the first place near midnight in the middle of no where and bewildered to have seen whoever it was she had seen, just because the girl had seemed so surreal. Okay, so maybe she couldn't dwell on it or judge, but even though Madge had only glimpsed her, she'd seen beauty and confidence in that glimpse. She'd seen determination in the way the silhouette had raised the bow, and she had seen it all in only a matter of moments.

The blonde girl clutched the armload of wood to her chest as she walked back to her home, winding through the familiar stretch of trees through the paths she'd previously created. Her mother spied her on the path through the living room window and stood, holding the door open for her daughter and greeting her with a mildly relieved smile when she stepped over the threshold. "It's about time you showed up, you're a bit later than you usually are. I was starting to worry." Madge put the wood in a box next to the fireplace and turned back to her mother. "I'm sorry." she murmured and dipped her head slightly. "It's fine, but what kept you? Did you just have trouble finding good wood?" asked. Her daughter shook her head. "No, I saw someone on the hill. A girl." Madge's mother raised her eyebrows at this. "A girl? Out there and at this time? Are you sure Madge?" She nodded. "Hm…" Mrs. Undersee looked skeptical. "That's very strange, it's not that I don't believe you, but that's a bit farfetched hon."

"She had a bow." The sixteen year old looked at her mother evenly, her eyes still holding the awe they'd fixed upon that silver outlined shape. "Do you think she was one of the wild people?" Her mother shook her head. "She couldn't have been Madge, only men hunt in those…Tribes is what I suppose you'd call them…Anyway" she waved a hand in a dismissive manner. "No girl or man would be hunting at this time of night, it's much too dark. I think you were mistaken dear, I think it must have been a trick of the light." Madge sighed and considered this. She doubted herself for a second, but she'd lost the doubt as soon as it slivered in her mind. Madge knew she saw that girl, she must have seen that girl. The brief moment that she laid eyes on the silhouette had been too real to have been nothing but a trick of the light. But as sure as Madge was that she'd seen the young woman, she was just as sure protesting against her mother wouldn't change her mind. "You're probably right, Ma." _You're not, and I don't blame you for being skeptical, _she thought _But I know she was there and I hope to see her again._


	2. Chapter 2

In the weeks since Madge had the silhouetted girl she had gone to collect wood every night at the same time. The current season was midsummer and although people might find this as an odd time to collect firewood, both Madge and her mother knew it was a good time. The wood was dry and the nights were pleasant, so she could gather a lot of wood that they saved for the harsh winter. Despite this, Madge did not need to go _every _single night. Her mother pointed this out to her, but Madge insisted. "I like going outside at night, Ma. It's very beautiful this time of year, you know. I see fireflies almost every single night and the breeze is quite pleasant." She'd replied, and though this was true, it was not the reason she went every night. The reason of course, was the young woman she'd seen in the moonlight, standing atop the hill and holding a bow. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, Madge was captivated by the figure she'd only seen for a few seconds. She felt silly about it, told herself she was ridiculous for being so wrapped up in a person she'd barley even seen. But she still couldn't help herself. The moment she'd glimpsed the girl outlined in the silver had almost been magical.

It was a rarity to see anyone at all out here. The closest people lived seven miles away in a dinky town called Recarton and Madge only went there every other month. She and her mother would take turns walking all the way out to Recarton with a large wagon. They would fill the wagon up with supplies, food mainly (not water, a nearby river provided all the fresh water they needed), and spend the night in town while the other watched the house. And besides the fact Madge had never seen another person out here, it seemed magical just because of how it happened. She'd looked up to the hill and the young woman had been right there, just her outline illuminated by the skylight, a bow and arrow raised as if she'd been a warrior. Then she'd shot the arrow and ran after it, gone as fast as she'd appeared. And so Madge had gone back every single night at the same time, hoping to see the girl again and always being disappointed. No, disappointed didn't quite cover it. Madge longed to see her again, longed to. It ached her that she never did, that she always went and came back without seeing the mysterious young woman she'd been captivated by. After about five weeks she once more doubted herself. Maybe the moonlight really had been playing tricks on her. Or even if the girl had really been there, maybe she wasn't coming back. Madge was dismayed by the thought, but she had no reason to think otherwise. Perhaps she'd been stupid in assuming the girl would ever come back in the first place.

Even so, by nightfall Madge went back to the spot. She'd gathered most of the good firewood there by this time, but there was enough to bring back. And she had to bring some back of course, otherwise her mother would question her. Not that Madge couldn't just use the 'it's a nice night' excuse, oh she could. But she didn't want to, and she felt a little less foolish when she brought firewood back. If she was being ridiculous, it was better to be useful at the same time. She sat down at the base of the hill, sighing softly as she looked up at it. It was empty of course, not that she expected any different. But she still came, and she would come the next night as well. Madge enjoyed the night while she was out there, taking a deep breath of the fresh air and smiling slightly as a cool breeze swept past, causing her hair to tickle her cheeks. And then…She spotted something on the hill. She squinted just to be sure, for she did see something. This something was much smaller than a person, it was a rabbit. It was rather large for a wild rabbit, Madge noted, but not fat enough to be pregnant. She watched the creature absently, watched as it hopped over to a small dip in the hill and began to nibble the grass. And then Madge's heart almost stopped, because she saw something else, someone else. Her. She lifted her eyes to the young woman who had crept silently onto the hill. She was outlined by the moonlight once again, her appearance nothing sort of surreal. The bow she held seemed to glow in the slivery shine of the moon and when another breeze swept past, Madge could see a single braid blowing back behind her head.

Madge held her breath, observing the figure in silence and awe for the second time._ She came back,_ she thought with a mix of relief and elation _She really came back! _Madge faintly heard the twang of the bow as the moonlit young woman shot the arrow, but she didn't see it strike the rabbit. All of her attention was on the huntress, who didn't seem to notice her at all. She raced down to where the rabbit was, fleet as a doe and as fast as she was the first time Madge laid eyes on her. As fast as the wind. She snatched up the animal and turned, running back up and over the hill. Madge was able to make out the quiver of arrows on her back before she disappeared and it was then that she finally let go of the breath she'd been holding. An impish smile turned up the corners of her mouth and she got to her feet. For a moment Madge considered going after her, she did want to. She wanted to meet this mysterious young woman, wanted to get close enough to _really_ see her. But she didn't go after her, for she knew she couldn't keep up with the huntress who ran like the wind. Madge didn't worry though, she knew she would see her again, knew she would see The Wind Huntress. She wasn't sure how she knew, she could just feel it.


	3. Chapter 3

Madge sat on her porch three days later, gnawing on her lip and absently watching a dragonfly flutter in the evening light, when her mother sat beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Okay Madge, tell me what's on your mind." the older woman murmured, mild concern showing in her eyes. "What?" Madge blinked at her in surprise, not sure what to say. "You've been acting different lately. Distracted, like there's something on your mind. A couple weeks ago it was a kind of glum distracted. It's different now I think, but I don't know what it _is_. So, what is it?"

questioned. Madge sighed and squirmed in her spot. She felt very awkward. After all, she hadn't realized she'd been acting different and she didn't even think she could tell her mother why. She hadn't believed her the first time Madge told her she'd seen someone, so why would she believe her now? And if she did believe her, she'd probably tell Madge to stay away from The Wind Huntress. Madge's mother was very wary of people these days, extremely cautious ever since Madge's father was killed in a riot five months ago. Madge was also more wary of people these days, but she felt differently about The Wind Huntress. "I don't know what you mean Ma, I'm not distracted by anything." she answered and then smiled jokingly. "What could I possibly be distracted by out here? In the middle of nowhere?" looked doubtful for a moment but then smiled back, shaking her head. "I don't know, you're right. I guess I'm just imagining things. But if there _was_ something wrong, you would tell me. Wouldn't you Madge?" Her mother's expression grew a bit more serious as she studied her daughter.

"Oh yeah, of course I would." she nodded and actually thought this to be true. She would tell her mother if something was wrong, but nothing was. Nothing at all, Madge considered herself lucky that she's seen The Wind Huntress, and longed to actually meet her. "Good." Mrs. Undersee smiled again and stood up, giving her daughter's shoulder one last pat and then walking down the porch steps. "I'm going to go collect some water." she said and Madge only then noticed that her mother was holding a two-gallon jug. "Need help?" she asked, ready to get up and go grab another jug. "That's alright hon, I got it. You can help me get some more tomorrow, it's getting too late. I'm just going to get enough to last us the night."

Madge nodded and with that, her mother was off. It was getting late, the evening sky had already darkened in just the few minutes she'd spent talking to her mother. _So amazing how quickly evening can fade into night_, she thought. Gathering firewood at night was one thing, gathering water was a different story. Her mother was very worried (too worried, as far as Madge was concerned) that one of them would fall in the river and drown. Madge was happy that it would be night soon, because that meant she'd be able to go and wait for The Wind Huntress. She wasn't sure if the young woman would even show up, as she hadn't the past two days, but Madge would go back and wait anyway. _I'll wait every night until I see her again_, she told herself.

She left as soon as her mother returned, heading into the small cluster of trees (too small to be considered a forest really. Perhaps mini-forest would be a good term for it) before the hill. There wasn't much good firewood to collect at all, and she thought she'd actually have to go back home empty handed tonight. No, she wouldn't do that. She'd just have to find a another way to get wood. Climbing a tree and breaking off its branching was the obvious thing to do, so Madge did. She gripped the branch of the tree closest to the swell of the hill and started to pull herself up. The rough bark scraped the skin on her palms, but only slightly and she made her way onto the branch. She stood up on it and reached for the one above, grasped it tightly and hauled herself up, bracing her knee against a smaller branch across from that one to help keep balanced. As she did so, her knee-length skirt roe up and she could feel the cool night breeze brush past her skin. Madge continued climbing up another few feet, until she spotted a good thick branch that would be easy to stand on.

She stood on the thicker branch and wrapped one arm around the trunk to keep herself steady while she reached up with her other arm and tried to break the branch above, one that appeared to be dead. She was pleased by this, since dead wood was the best for catching fire. Madge pulled on the branch as hard as she could, but just one hand's strength was not enough to break it. She uncurled other arm from around the trunk and tried with both hands, pulling down as hard as she could. The branch wiggled but would not give way. "Ugh!" She let out a grunt of frustration, and it was the frustration that blinded her caution. She began jumping up and down, partially pushing herself up and pressing her wait down on the branch. It broke with a loud THAWK and Madge lost her footing, stumbling back off her perch.

She gasped before she screamed and even then it was more a scream of surprise than it was of fear. She was afraid though and wildly grabbed at branches as she fell. They whipped her back and fourth and slowed her fall, but she couldn't get ahold of one. Madge shut her eyes tightly and mentally prepared herself for death. _Heaven, here I come. God, if you exist, please take care of my mom…And The Wind Huntress. _She felt herself smash into the ground and heard a voice that did not sound like hers utter a loud "OOOF!"

Only it wasn't the ground Madge smashed into, the ground was hard and cold, and what she smashed into was warm and soft. And she was not the one who had uttered the sound. Madge snapped her eyes open only to find a pair of bewildered, silvery moonlit ones starting back into hers. She was stunned to silence as she stared into the face of her accidental rescuer, a girl no older than she was with a dark braid billowing back behind her head. The Wind Huntress, only right now there was no bow her hands, right now she, Madge was the only thing in the huntress's arms. _I can't believe it, I just can't believe it_, she thought, still nothing short of stunned. Her rescuer did not speak either, only gaped at Madge with her mouth open in a dumbfounded O. Madge studied The Wind Huntress's face, and the light of the moon and stars was all she needed to see that the girl was beautiful, shocked though she was.

Madge had just gathered herself enough to say something when her rescuer dropped her, and it was then she realized that the girl had been on her knees. The force of _catching Madge_ had brought her down, and the blonde was impressed that the young woman had been able to stay upright at all. The Wind Huntress scrambled to her feet in seconds, snatching up the bow she'd dropped to save Madge. "W-Wait!" Madge gasped, struggling to get up. "Don't go, I want-" She broke off there, as the girl had already whirled around and took off running. Madge could still see her, quiver of arrows on her back and braid whipping in the wind as she raced up the hill.


	4. Chapter 4

Madge was down by the river, sullenly collecting water in jugs and placing the filled ones in a wagon. She was sore from her experience the night before, covered with bruises and scratches where the branches had whipped at her, slight injuries her mother had inquired about too much and too worriedly for Madge's taste. Though it wasn't the scrapes of her mother's fussing that Madge was distressed about, it was The Wind Huntress. The beautiful girl she admired in the night had probably saved her life, but then she'd just run away. _Why?_ Madge wondered downheartedly. _Why did she run? Did I frighten her? How could I frighten someone so…_Dangerous was the word that came to mind. There was no doubt that The Wind Huntress was dangerous, but that wasn't the word Madge wanted to use to describe her.

The word "dangerous" implied that she should stay away from the huntress, and that was the last thing Madge wanted to do. When she filled all eight jugs and loaded them, she started for home. Along the way she pondered how it was she was going to go about finding The Wind Huntress. That's right, _find_ her. Madge was no longer going to wait at the bottom of the hill, she was going to go track her beautiful rescuer. Though the idea of tracking the young woman made Madge a bit nervous, if she was honest with herself. After all, when they had come into contact for the first time, The Wind Huntress ran away. If she did not want to talk then, why would she want to now? And aside from that, Madge was not by any means an expert tracker. She barely knew where to start! But she would start, because she yearned to talk to The Wind Huntress, even if that feeling was not mutual. _I have to thank her properly, at any rate_, she told herself. _After that, if she wants to be left alone, I'll leave her alone. I just have to find her, and talk to her at least once. Even if it's adieux right after thank you._

Madge enjoyed the walk from the river back to her home. The afternoon sun was high in the sky and its light warmed her to contentment, the temperature just right. As she pulled the wagon of water up to her porch, she once again went over her plan to find the huntress. Her mother was leaving early tomorrow, to go to Recarton and buy essentials. The teenage blonde would leave right after her, only she would go to the hill, and over it, searching for any signs of The Wind Huntress. She doubted a young woman so fleet and graceful would leave any footprints, but it was possible there would be other signs. Like blood from a hunted animal, or a manmade path through the trees, or maybe even a snare or two. Such a confident huntress must have more tactics than just a bow and arrow, right? She would also look for signs of a fire, or a shelter. The Wind Huntress had to have a shelter nearby, right? There was no other civilization for miles._ Or is there? _Madge wondered. She'd been certain there wasn't anyone out there at all, and that had been proved wrong. So why should she assume The Wind Huntress was the only other person around?

"Here, I'll help you carry those in." came the voice of , as she trotted out of the house and down the porch steps. "Oh, right. Thanks Ma." Madge mumbled distractedly, taking two jugs out of the wagon and handing them to her mother. She took two of her own and automatically carried them in, her body on auto pilot while her mind was with the huntress._ It's not much of a plan, not much of a plan at all, but it's what I've got. And I should be able to find her, right? How far away could she be? _Madge stayed on auto pilot as she helped her mother with the rest of the water, and for the rest of the day for that matter. Even when the day was over and she laid in her bed, she was thinking hard and hoping she would be able to find The Wind Huntress. And then she was hoping that the young woman wouldn't run as she did before, that she would be able to talk to her. She also hoped she would be able to make friends with the mysterious girl, and felt silly for wanting that, but hoped nonetheless._ I wonder what she looks like in the daylight…What color her eyes really are, under the moon they look just like a pair of shining stars._

The next morning Madge woke up just as the first light of dawn peeked over the horizon and into her window. She slipped out of bed and took off her nightgown, hastily throwing on a thin cotton dress that went down to her ankles. It was a creamy pale pink color and the hem was dotted with tiny bright red strawberries. She then loosely tied her hair up in a matching ribbon (also dotted with strawberries) and walked out to the living room, pleased to see that her mother was already up and ready to leave. Mrs. Undersee turned and smiled at Madge as she tugged on one of her boots. "Good morning Hon," she said brightly. "Morning Ma. Do you want me to go grab the wagon for you?" Madge asked, hoping it didn't show how impatient she was for her mother to leave the house. "Thanks Madge, but it's already on the porch and ready to go." The older woman said, standing up and walking over. She gave her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek and pointed to the kitchen. "I made some eggs this morning, and there's still some in the pan whenever you want breakfast. Take good care of house for me while I'm gone, okay?"

Madge nodded and bade her mother goodbye, peering out the window and watching until she was out of sight. As much as she wanted to go and get on the move right then, she decided to eat breakfast first. She would need energy for today's task. She promptly heated up the eggs on the gas stove and then wolfed them down, getting up afterward and putting the plate in the sink. She then put on her shoes and hurried out the door, feeling the dew-slick grass brush her ankles as she jogged to the hill. Only when she got there did it occur to Madge that she'd never been over that rather large hill, and she'd never seen the other side. "I wonder what's over it." She murmured out loud to herself, as she slowed her pace and started to walk up. She supposed there must be forest on the other side, and she knew the river ran from that direction. _Perhaps there's a waterfall somewhere. _She idly mused. When Madge reached the top of the hill she saw that she was right, and the forest continued to the left of the hill.

To the right, there was a whole other stretch of hills, only they were smaller than the one she stood atop, and gradually just decreased size. The forest to the left was much thicker than any forest Madge had ever been in, and all she could see were the tops of trees, that seemed to stretch on for miles. Even though the river ran through there, she couldn't even make that out. Madge was dismayed at the expanse of the wilderness. The Wind Huntress could be anywhere in that…_How can I find her in this?_ she asked herself. She couldn't answer, but she knew she had to try. The blonde tightened the ribbon in her hair and jogged down the hill, slipping into the trees with determination glittering in her eyes. She slowed to a walk in the clearing that followed, sparing a moment to admire the scenery. The pale morning light swept through the forest and made the dew shimmer on the vegetation. A multitude of different trees grew amongst each other, birch, ash, oak, cedar. Madge even spotted wildflowers blooming from tendrils of vines that wrapped around the trees, and more wildflowers growing in clumps around a fallen log. She smiled softly at the beauty of nature and closed her eyes, deeply inhaling the fresh air. Then she opened them, and started her search.

~X~

Madge Undersee frowned and leaned back against a tall oak tree. The sun had climbed up high in the sky and signaled that it was noon. She'd been searching for hours, and found no sign at all of The Wind Huntress. Madge was perturbed by this, even though she tried not to be. She came prepared to search until the next dawn if she had to, but she still had hoped that she would have found _something _by now, a lead at least. But she had not._ I WON'T be discouraged, I'll keep looking._ She told herself sternly._ I WILL find The WInd Huntress. _Madge's stomach growled right then, and she realized how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten in hours, nor had she brought any food with her. She'd considered it, but decided that would have attracted animals. Animals were a distraction she couldn't afford, and she feared attracting something dangerous, such as a bear or a wolf. The teen ignored her hunger and began to walk in a direction she hadn't tried yet, when she heard a voice from behind her. "I think this belongs to you."


	5. Chapter 5

Madge whirled around and gasped, her eyes widening in surprise and her heart swelling with excitement. There, less than ten feet away stood The Wind Huntress, the bow clutched in her left hand and held to her side, while her right hand was outstretched to Madge. Resting on her palm was the strawberry dotted ribbon Madge had put in her hair. The end of it was lightly curled around the huntress's thumb. Madge was stunned into silence for the second time in the young woman's presence. She was seeing her in the daylight for the first time, and really getting a look at her. The Wind Huntress's hair was still in the braid, the color of the premium dark chocolate her mother sometimes got in Recarton. She was wearing a buckskin short sleeved shirt, and slacks to match. Her shoes appeared to be the same. Her olive skin was subtly smooth and her eyes were charcoal gray, regarding Madge with wary curiosity. She said nothing, simply continued to hold the ribbon out to the blonde. "You're beautiful…" Madge breathed softly, without meaning to.

A brief look of surprise crossed The Wind Huntresses face, along with a faint blush. "Do you want your ribbon or not?" she asked. "Y-Yes!" Madge stammered and trotted forward, taking it from the outstretched hand. "Thank you Wind Huntress." The young woman blinked and tilted her head questioningly, dark eyebrows knitting together. "What did you just call me?" Madge sheepishly smiled, embarrassed to have let that slip in front of her. "I um, nicknamed you that. I've watched you hunt, and you run like the wind so…" She trailed off, feeling silly and shaking her head. "I'm sorry, that's dumb." The brunette smiled slightly. "I've heard dumber ones. Wind Huntress fits me at least. But how do you know that?" Her charcoal gaze grew wary again, and her tone was mildly accusing. Madge internally cringed. _God, if you exist, please don't let her think I'm a stalker! _ "I've seen you before on the hill. I go to that little stretch of trees to get firewood. It's right by my house." The huntress gave a slight nod after a moment. "I see. That must be why there wasn't any left for me to get, when you fell out of the sky."

A nominally teasing smile curved up the pretty lips of The Wind Huntress at the mention of this. "That's actually why I came here." Madge replied softly. "To find you, and thank you for catching me." The brunette shook her head. "No need to do that, I didn't really mean to catch you. I was just walking that way when I heard you scream. You were practically right in front of me, so I just put my arms out." she said. "Why did you run away after?" The blonde teen asked curiously. The huntress shrugged. "I don't know. I guess you freaked me out a little bit, just falling from the sky in the middle of the night." she replied. Madge giggled and nodded. "That would freak me out too, but I didn't really fall from the sky." The huntress rolled her eyes. "Well obviously you didn't, but in the middle of the night that's exactly what it looked like. So what's your name?"

"Madge. Madge Undersee. What about you?" she asked, quite curious to know the real title of The Wind Huntress. "Katniss Everdeen." Madge smiled and held out a hand. "It's nice to meet you." Katniss smiled back at her and briefly shook the fairer, smaller hand. "So, are you one of those wild people?" Madge inquired, studying Katniss's appearance again. She really hoped it wasn't an offensive question. If she hurt the feelings of The Win-Katniss, she would be crushed. But Katniss didn't look offended, just puzzled. "Wild people?" Madge tied the ribbon back in her hair and idly wondered how it was that it came undone in the first place. Whatever the reason, she was glad that it did. "You know,the people that live in the wilderness."

"Oh, well technically you know you live in the wilderness too, but I know what what you mean. You used to be a town person, that's obvious. Especially by what you're wearing. And I'm sure you have lots of fancy technologies even now that you live out here. When you say 'wild people' you mean people who were born out here, right?"

Madge nodded. She did mean that, though she also meant people who got their food solely by hunting and survived off of the wilderness alone, but she supposed that would be included with people who were born in said environment. "Then yes, I'm a wild person. If you're a town person Madge, how come you live out here?" asked Katniss. The blonde girl paused a moment before replying. It was a bit of a long (and painful, terribly painful) story, so she just shrugged her shoulders and got to the basis of it. "Town was dangerous." she told Katniss. "Seriously? How? I didn't think those places were dangerous at all. They're all cushy and soft, whenever you need food or medicine, you can just got to a store and get it." The smokey eyed girl spoke with mild disbelief and curiosity. "Believe me Katniss, they can get dangerous." Madge murmured, feeling a familiar tug of greif at her heart as her father's face crossed her mind. Katniss shrugged. "Alright, if you say so. I guess I can't judge since I've never seen a town for myself. But I'm still sure it's more dangerous out here. Beyond having to hunt our own food, there's dangerous stuff out here. Like bears. This one time my friend Gale almost got flayed by one. But of course, I went and saved his ass."

Madge mentally cringed at the thought of bears, frightened of them from what little she did know of them and positive they were just as ferocious as she'd been told, even if she had yet to see one for herself. And that's when something else Katniss said perked Madge's interest. "Wait, your friend got attacked by a bear?" The teen nodded. "Mhm, it was awhile back though. Why, am I scaring you?"

"No, not at all. Just, I didn't think you would have friends out here. There are other wild people then?" Katniss nodded, grinning in what might have been amusement. "Yeah, a lot of us. You really didn't think I was alone did you? I said I was born out here, that would mean I'd have to have parents at least." The huntress spoke as though this were the most obvious thing in the world (perhaps it was more obvious than Madge gave her credit for) but her tone was still light and without any condescension. "When you say there are a lot of you, how many people do you mean?" Madge asked, growing the slightest bit nervous. She didn't think Katniss would hurt her, was almost certain she wouldn't hurt her, but what about the other wild people? She also knew her mom wouldn't like the idea of there being wild people out here either. Her mother fretted so much these more, more than needed the blonde was certain, but she still couldn't blame her. "A lot of us. Probably as many people as you have in the towns…But I guess I can't say for sure, since I've never been to a town."

The blonde teen's eyes went wide. _That's a lot of people then. Way more than I though living out here was possible_, she thought. _But on the other hand she could be mistaken. If she's never been to a town before, how could she compare that population with the wild people?_ "Um…What is it?" Katniss asked, looking at Madge uncertainly with those gorgeous charcoal eyes of her, brow crinkling in slight discomfort. "Nothing, just, if you've never been to a town, how can you compare?" Madge questioned softly, her head tipping her head a notch to the side.

The huntress rolled her eyes. "Just because I've never been to one doesn't mean I don't know about them. I know what they are, how they function. And my parents have been to them before. My mom and my dad, but my dad more than she. He used to sing, and people liked it. So he'd sing for town people, and they'd pay him. Not with your money, since we don't use that, but with fruit or vegetables. He used to bring me and my sister little presents when he came back." The brunette stopped there, a look of sorrow crossing her face so strong it pained Madge's heart.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, frowning in concern. Katniss sighed wearily and shook her head. "I guess not. Talking like this just makes me miss my dad. He died." The blonde's frown deepened, since she knew exactly what that was like. How it was too awful for words. "Mine too." She unconsciously folded her hands together in front of her chest and held them tight. "I lost him five months ago. It's why my mom and I moved out here." Madge murmured, drawing in a slow breath and feeling a hard lump rise in her throat. "I'm sorry Madge." The huntress said quietly, hesitantly extending a hand and resting it on the other young woman's shoulder. Madge found herself comforted by the touch and unclasped her two hands, sliding one over Katniss's and giving it a grateful squeeze. "Thank you."

The brunette nodded and for a few moments the two girls just stood there in silence until the growling of Madge's hungry stomach interrupted them. It would have been comical, under more cheerful circumstances. Even so Katniss smiled faintly as bright pink bloomed onto Madge's cheeks. She lifted her hand from Katniss's (who proceeded to draw hers back to her side) and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "Oops."

"I take it your hungry?"

"Hehe, yeah. I haven't eaten since dawn."

A teasing grin shaped Katniss's mouth and she chuckled. "Lucky for you, I'm a wind huntress."


End file.
